


I'd come for you

by orphan_account



Series: What we have, is today [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Gun Violence, Hopeful Ending, Iron man is seen as Tony's bodyguard, M/M, Not Happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-05 20:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12197121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Unanswered prompt from ImagineTonyandBuckyImagine Bucky as a journalist trying to make it and he gets this assignment in which he needs to get something big on SI or Tony Stark himself, and though Bucky hates that this sounds a lot like “get some good gossip on the rich guy”, he believes in Tony’s public persona, so he doesn’t feel too bad about trying to get in the guys good graces for a good headline… That is, until he actually starts getting to know Tony, and falling for him.Plus bonus prompt - “Do you think I care for you so little, that betraying me would make one bit of difference?”A/N - Undergoing a slight rewrite and edit. See chapter 2 for notes





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ah a prompt that I managed to keep a prompt and not turn it into a novel length piece. 
> 
> Be warned, this is heavy on the angst and it's not a happy ending though I tried to give it a hopeful ending. I don't know whether I succeeded. Also the I am Iron Man speech never happened. The world believes Tony has a bad ass Iron Man bodyguard.
> 
> Also warning for gun violence. Just the threat of it but still... yeah.

Bucky's thinking of him again.

A whisper of stubble rubbing against his own cheek. The brush of hands on oversensitive skin that longs to be held, to be stroked, but only gets the barest of contact before the touch is withdrawn. The sound of laughter, and the memory of lips stretched into a smile that could make a whole face seem to come alight with happiness.

Bucky sighs and closes his eyes. The memories are painful because they are all he has left of Tony. Yet when his brain decides to give him his daily dose of torture, he doesn't try to stop it. It would be more terrible to not remember, he thinks.

But maybe not while he's at work and probably should be working. The blank computer screen with it's single flashing black line mocks him. He needs to write something, even if the chances that his report will make it into the newspaper are slim to none. He swallows and sighs, because that's his fault as well.

"Buck? You okay?"

A heavy hand lands on his shoulder and Bucky glances away from his screen and up to the concern gaze of Steve Rogers. _Course_ , the word gets stuck in his throat and all Bucky can do is a small aborted nod that gets turned into a shake half way through. He hates this part of the guilt. The way his body feels like its going through some sort of reboot and that only the most basic of functions are available.

Error 404: Bucky not found. He should get that tattooed on him somewhere.

Steve seems to understand though. The hand on his shoulder squeezes once, quick and reassuring, before sliding away. "Maybe you should take a break. Get a drink of water." Steve smiles and then disappears into the cubicle next to Bucky's.

Bucky's grateful. He knows his friends mean well, that they just want to see him move on and be happy, but its been months now and Bucky doesn't know if he'll ever feel the same way about someone, the way he did about Tony.

With another sigh, Bucky decides to take Steve's advice. Getting up is a long process, but even as he realises that movement shouldn't be taking this long to complete, there's nothing Bucky can do. It's just like the messages from his brain to his limbs take double the time to get put into action. Its only past experience that reassures Bucky that it'll pass even if it takes a while. Taking small steps, Bucky makes his way to the small break room the office allows for colleagues to take their coffee breaks. Taking a glass and filling it with water, he takes a sip, but even that takes effort.

God, what is he even doing with his life.

_Get out!_

Bucky flinches, his grip tightening on the glass. The amount of time hadn't dulled that memory. Tony's voice still cracks like thunder, laced with all the pain, betrayal and anger that Bucky could see storming in his eyes. Bucky had taken it all: the shouting, the quiet fury and the shocked hurt that cut him deeper than the any of the anger ever had. And in the end, Bucky had complied with Tony's wishes. He had gotten himself out of Tony's life completely, because it was what he deserved.

He had taken the assignment, though even in the beginning it hadn't felt right. This wasn't what he had gone into journalism for. He had wanted to travel to far off places. Bring the news of desperate situations in remote corners of the world back home, hoping that awareness would get help. It had all seemed so idealistic in college.

The reality was 100 word pieces on some small scrap of news that barely, if ever made it into the newspaper.

So Bucky had not jumped at the opportunity Fury presented to him but certainly walked into it with some level of enthusiasm. Tony Stark was a billionaire winning at life and yet still reaping the benefits of war. He had fast cars, woman hanging off his arms and invites to all the best life had to offer. If he wanted to go somewhere, he could climb into his private jet and go there. Bucky hadn't felt bad about it.

The glass slammed down onto the table top with enough force to send some water sloshing over the edges and onto Bucky's hand. Bucky choked back on a laugh. How he wishes he could invent time travel, so he could slap his younger self. First clue that not all is as it seems, he told himself bitterly, was Tony Stark shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries. The very reason he had gotten the assignment in the first place, because Fury was convinced Tony was hiding something and wanted the scoop before other papers got it. That should have been his first clue to the fact that Tony Stark was human and didn't deserve the lies Bucky had fed to him.

Letting his head fall onto the table top, Bucky resists giving voice to the groan that wants to escape him.

He doesn't notice the sounds at first. But as soon as he registers the running footsteps, the shouts that follow, Bucky is instantly alert. Straightening himself out, Bucky treads lightly on the carpeted floor. His limbs ares still slow to obey, a tingling sensation started to thrum through his body as adrenaline spikes his body into awareness.

There's more shouting now and- fuck!

Bucky launches himself forward, plastering himself against the wall beside the door as a gunshot rings out. Silence settles over the building as the last reverberation of the gunshot echoes through the building. Bucky's heart is pounding in his chest, and he strains to hear anything other than the blood rushing in his ears. But there's nothing. No sounds, just dreadful silence.

Steve, Bucky thinks with renewed terror that only increases as the names of all his colleagues run through his head. Even Charles, who no one likes because he steals all the biscuits from the canteen but doesn't deserve a bullet in his head.

But why the hell is there even a gunman in the building? Trying to calm his breathing, Bucky inches to his right. There's a small window in the door to the break room, that might allow him a sliver of a view, to give him any idea to what the situation is.

He can hear a murmur now, but it's not loud enough for him to make out words. Inch by inch, Bucky tries to get closer to the door. When he does manage it, the blood in Bucky's veins turns to ice. Through the small glimpse he can see all his colleagues lined up against the back wall and a figure standing in front of them, his back to the break room but aiming a gun at his colleagues who look scared and confused.

_Tony._ Bucky presses himself back against the wall, far enough away from the door that if the gunman turns around he won't spot Bucky. Tony, his head whispers to him again and Bucky closes his eyes, clenches his fists. But then he snaps his eyes open again.

"Tony," he whispers.

His hands are fumbling into his pockets before the name had even left his mouth. His hands grasps at his phone, that he always keeps in his pocket instead of on his desk and his fingers hovers over the number 9.

The USB drive is a clear image in his head. The drive he had snapped in two and is rotting in the dump somewhere with all the information that would have given Bucky the scoop he wanted.

_I am Iron Man._

Deftly his fingers go to his contacts instead. There's shouting again coming from the room, as he searches down to the T's and presses the call button before he can even think about it.

The phone rings and rings and rings. Bucky's heart, still pounding feels like it's jumping into his throat.

There's a click and then silence.

"Tony?" Bucky breathes out the name, barely more than a whisper. More silence is the only thing he gets in reply. Bringing his phone away from his ear, Bucky checks to see if the call is still connected. The seconds count up, showing him the call is still ongoing.

"Please, Tony, don't hang up," Bucky says as he brings the phone back to his ear. He risks another glance out the window. There's been no more gunshots but terror is clear on each and everyone of his colleagues faces and Bucky can't see Steve.

Breathing suddenly feels like he's trying to suck air through a straw with too many holes in it.

"Tony," he tries again. "I know I don't deserve this, but there's a situation at the office. A guy with a gun..." Bucky trails off, trying to suck into another mouthful of air.

"Please," he begs. There was one gunshot, and Bucky can't see Steve.

The line clicks and then goes dead.

Bucky brings the phone away from him slowly, staring at the orange call ended screen. The familiar sweep of guilt chokes the next breath that he tries to take in. Dialing 911 and speaking to the operator there and letting them know of the situation and hearing the steady calm voice back, telling him that units are on their way, feels like its happening to someone else. Numbness is settling over him and he wants to sink to his knees. Instead he keeps glancing out the window every few seconds, letting the operator know of the situation as its happening. He can see Fury now, hands outstretched, tying to reason with the gunman.

Glass shatters, there's a high pitched whining and Bucky takes a step back. There's a flash of red and gold, of burning white hot heat as Iron Man hovers for a brief second before he drops to the floor with a clang. The gunman takes a step back, and Iron Man raises his arms, a whine of repulsers powering up. Bucky laughs.

"Sir, Sir, what's going on now? Units are approaching the building."

"Iron Man," Bucky replies and lets his hand with the phone drop to his side. Reaching for the handle of the door, Bucky re-enters the office he has worked in since he had starting interning at college.

"Stand down." Iron Man's stern voice echoes through the room, washing over Bucky and bringing with it a sense of joy and guilt all mixed up in a wash of emotions. He hovers just outside of the door, watching as the gunman shakes, falls to his knees and starts to sob.

"Bucky!"

Bucky closes his eyes for a brief second, welcoming the relief that makes the tension in his shoulders soften as he turns and see's Steve walking towards him. He smiles and reaches for the other man, laying a hand on Steve's shoulder just as Steve mirrors the move.

"I couldn't see you," Bucky admits.

"I'm here Buck. I'm here," Steve assures but then glances away and lets his hand drop from Bucky's shoulder. Bucky follows the gaze and once again his heart lurches into his throat. Iron Man is standing a few feet in front of him, face mask still down but something in the way the suit holds itself, he seems hesitant.

"You okay?" Bucky feels Steve slide away from him but he doesn't take his eyes off of Iron Man. He nods and gets a mechanical nod in return. Awkward silence descends and Bucky longs to take a step forward, for the face mask to flip open, so he can see Tony's face up close and not on T.V. or on a magazine.

"You came," he whispers instead. Iron Man shifts.

“Do you think I care for you so little, that betraying me would make one bit of difference?” The words are spoken quietly. Even so with the voice modulator, Bucky knows most of the room probably heard them. He looks away. Because Tony was the better man.

"I'll always come for you," Tony says and Bucky snaps his head back up. The faceplate is flipped up and Tony is looking back at him, brown eyes filled with the same longing that Bucky can feel in himself.

"Tony," Bucky's voice is small and he takes a step forward. But Tony steps back. The faceplate flips down and Iron Man is walking away.

"I'll always be here," Bucky says back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah... hopeful ending? Might still do a sequel to this but for now this is it. You can imagine it ending however you want. 
> 
> Love the ImagineTonyandBucky blog. I have so many of their unanswered prompts stored away to write. Come say hi on my [Tumblr](https://staglynxspider.tumblr.com/) to see more prompts.


	2. Not a chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a chapter, just a note that will be deleted later.

So this is all just going to be a Author's note and update for this one-shot. 

 

So I said that this one-shot might have a possible sequel to it. Well as of right now and thanks to a couple of commenters, I'm working on the prequel. Yay! Or hopefully yay?

 

But this one-shot is actually going to go through an edit and rewrite. It's not changing per say, no new deleted scenes or add on's so if you've just read it then you're not going to be missing anything. 

I'm changing it because of recent events. I first posted this one-shot a couple of days before tragic events in Las Vegas. I almost took it down after I heard, only keeping it up due to friends convincing me. But now Texas happened and I've kind of been feeling shitty about the gun violence in this one-shot being used as a simple plot device. It just feels blasé and horrible considering what has been happening recently. 

 

I'm sorry. 

 

 

 


End file.
